Swordmasters of the Fariadhy
The Swordmasters of the Fariadhy are a school of martial artists in Iran, Canopus from 544 BGW. The school are owned by Iranian noble family House of Fariadhy. Fariadhy society The Fariadhy Swordmasters originated—like other schools dedicated to human perfection—in the time of the Caturian Jihad. The house of Fariadhy has an independent army which fielded expert mercenaries in the service of the League of Nobles during their Caturian Jihad The people of Fariadhy retained their freedom from foreign influence, yet saw themselves honor-bound to join the Iranian peoples in their battle against the Paskitani. Fariadhy society was centered around the concept of personal excellence in warfare and martial arts, and the organization in mercenary clans which competed with each other in who could claim the greatest achievements on the field of battle. Men and women were considered equal as fighters and served equally in mercenary troupes. Before embarking on a campaign, each mercenary was expected to mate three times: Once representing the men who went into battle, once for the women who would join, and once for all those who cannot reproduce. This way the population were to be kept stable despite the high body count among the mercenary detachments. The Fariadhy considered glorious achievement in battle more desirable than a long life, and would often volunteer for the most dangerous or even outright suicidal missions on their tours of duty. Origins of the Swordmasters When the mercenary leader Fauzi Fariadhy died in a training accident, he charged his son Catur Ginaz Fariadhy to become the most legendary warrior of Fariadhy history. Catur's father also implored him to forgive his training partner Jabbar who was the cause of Fauzi's death. Transferring his desire for vindication from Jabbar onto all enemies of House Fariadhy, Catur Fariadhy began with a rigorous training to become the most effective killer of everything canopus has ever see. Catur's fighting style emphasized close combat with pulse swords, designed to send destructive stashik in the shape of pulses into a human body to incapacitate or kill the opponent. The style also included advanced fighting techniques for and against warriors protected by personal shields - a fact that probably kept this martial-arts style alive long after fighting was a priority in Iran. Catur Fariadhy achieved many victories on the field of battle, among them the single-handed destruction of the Pakistani war machine Alemein. Despite Catur's reluctance to bask in fame or accept students, more and more young warriors came flocking in response to the reputation and fame his heroic exploits have gained him. Even aspiring martial artists from off-world locations arrived to learn from Catur, and soon the fighting style of the legendary warrior became an art in its own right. Consequently, the mercenaries of Fariadhy, and everyone else trained in Catur's fighting art, were considered the most elite warriors in the Iranian armies. In 499 BGW Catur died in a battle when the dragon Aggreeggoor attack the House of Fariadhy. The sensei Jabbar survived, though. Having acquired all the skills of Catur during their extended training sessions, Jabbar kept the fighting-style of the legendary warrior alive and laid the foundation for the coming school of swordmasters. Swordmaster schools remained open to public peoples, but the highest levels of the art would only be taught to retainers or members of the house. The end of House Fariadhy Thirty years later, aproximately 469 BGW, House Fariadhy had become one of the Great Houses of the Iran. They engaged in a War of Assassins against House Moritani which ended in 10,181 AG with their total defeat when the Fariadhy duke and all of his family were poisoned. But the school is no longer depended on House Fariadhy so they kept running the school. Pillars of Strength Members of the Swordmasters Order, from SwordMasters to Murids, were encouraged to follow a set of guidelines, including self-discipline, responsibility, and public service. These principles were put simply yet effectively in the Swordmasters Code: :Swordmasters are the guardians of peace in the world. :Swordmasters use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others. :Swordmasters respect all life, in any form. :Swordmasters serve others rather than ruling over them, for the good of the world. :Swordmasters seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training. The Swordmasters Code would help a Swordmasters stay on the right path and guide them away from the dark side. The Code was not necessarily a strict set of rules, but a general set of guidelines that Swordmasters were encouraged to keep in mind as they went about the business of the Order. Numerous Swordmasters teachings interpreted and expounded on the Code in subsequent millennia. These rules, created and embraced by the SwordMasters, were essential tools in a Swordmasters's growth. In them, Swordmasters were encouraged to overcome personal obstacles such as pride and materialism, to understand their small yet important place in the world, and to give every being and point of view equal consideration. Ranks *'Grand Master' – The highest rank of the Swordmasters Order was that of Grand Master. Only known was Catur Fariadhy. *'Councilor' (or Council Member) – Very few Swordmasters were invited to serve on the Swordmasters Council, the governing body of the Order. The Council was made up almost exclusively of wise, experienced Masters. However, in the waning days of the Order, one Knight, Ki-Kalijaga, served as a Councilor, but was undergoing the process of becoming a Master at the time of his invitation). The Council was made up of twelve masters, five of them with lifelong terms (two of them designated as "senior"), four as long-term, and three limited-term. *'SwordMaster' – a Knight who showed great understanding of the Stashik and managed to instruct a Murid and train them successfully to the level of a Swordmasters Knight. This title could also be achieved through the performance of extraordinary deeds. *'Knight' – a disciplined Murid could become a fully-trained Swordmasters once they completed "the trials." The known trials were, but weren't limited to: the Trial of Fear, the Trial of Bravery, the Trial of Skill and the Trial of Self (also known as "facing the mirror"). *'Murid'– a young Swordmasters who was apprenticed to a single Swordmasters Knight or Master. Murids were chosen by their masters at a young age, and wore a long braid of hair (if their species was capable of growing cranial hair) behind their right ear (if they had ears) to signify their rank. *'Youngling'–a Stashik-sensitive child who was removed from their family at a very young age to be taught by older Swordmasters in groups called clans. Sword Combat The Seven Forms Each Swordmaster chose the style of sword combat that best suited him or her. For example, Grand Master Catur used the Altaire form to compensate for his lack of power and brute strength (though he mastered all seven forms); Master Jabbar usedHwang-Do to turn his inner darkness into a weapon of the light; Master Aufa's practice of the Istunka form fit first of all his intention to frequently engage in sword-to-sword combat, and second his emphasis on class and elegance as well as precision. Swordmaster learned elements of each form, though few ever mastered all of them. *'Form I: Glima' "Way of the Horse" or "Determination Form" **Form I is the most basic of the seven forms and is learned by every Swordmaster Youngling. Glima includes the fundamental elements of all the sword forms, including the basic attack, parry, body target zones, and practice drills called velocities. *'Form II: Istunka' "Way of the Wolf" or "Contention Form" **Form II represents the ultimate refinement of sword-to-sword combat. Masters of Istunka develop unique offenses and defenses and train studiously against having their sabers taken or damaged. *'Form III: Danzan-Ryu' "Way of the Turtle" or "Resilience Form" **Form III was first developed in response to the advancement of long range technology. Danzan-Ryu's emphasis on tight, efficient movements that expose very minimal target areas make it the most defensive and passive of the seven forms. *'Form IV: Altaire' "Way of the Falcon" or "Aggression Form" **Form IV is the most acrobatic of all the forms and requires a Swordmaster to first master the Stashik level of Run, Jump, and Spin abilities. By incorporating all the Stashik powers that allow a Swordmaster to exceed standard norms of physical abilities, Swordmaster may resemble nothing less than a blur when using this style. *'Form V: Vajrat / Djem So' "Way of the Crane" or "Perseverance Form" **Form V was also created in response to the advancement and frequency of long range weaponary or arrows use in the galaxy. Unlike the strictly defensive style Danzan-Ryu, Vajrat exploits the ability of a sword to block arrows and deflect them back at an opponent in a counter-attack maneuver. In a duel, the Djem So variation of this form, which focused on strength, would be used. *'Form VI: Numad' "Way of the Tiger" or "Moderation Form" **Form VI seeks to balance the emphases of forms I through V. Numad allows a Swordmaster to fight with harmony and justice without having to resort to powerful, aggressive movements or overt emotion. *'Form VII: Hwang-Do'"Way of the Dragon" or "Ferocity Form" **Hwang-Do instead employs bold, direct movements, more open and kinetic than form V, but not so elaborate as the acrobatic form Altaire. Hwang-Do requires greater energy and intensity out of the practitioner because his focus is wielded more broadly and draws upon from a deeper well of emotion; while the outward bearing of a Form VII practitioner is one of calm, the inner pressure verges on explosive. It was also considered to be the most dangerous in regard to falling to the Dark Side, because it required a certain amount of enjoyment in the fight from the person experiencing it. The seven forms were not merely swordplay moves, they represented seven different kinds of philosophy. In addition, a sword was not necessary to execute the seven forms: each form could be applied in unarmed combat. Swordmaster Masters Jabbar, Nat Gumpo, and Hassan Abdul had demonstrated such talent during the Caturian Jihad. Other forms of Sword combat These forms were not considered a part of the seven main or "classic" forms. Some were systematized methods of Sword combat, while others were merely techniques or principles of combat applied to Sword combat. They were mostly based on other forms. *'Nimen' **A fighting method that focused tactical superiority; on using the terrain to one's advantage. *'Kun Lai' **A fighting style that focused on dual-blade combat. *'Telekinetic Sword combat' **Wielding a Sword with the Stashik and attacking from a range. *'Trapetze' **A type of aerial dueling, essentially flying Sword combat. *'Mounted Sword combat' **Fighting from a mounted position, either on a beast of burden or a vehicle. *Double-bladed Sword combat **A fighting style designed specifically for the use of Double-bladed Swords. *'The Unorthodox'. **Several techniques fell outside the traditional and practiced forms of the Sordmasters. General Ahlik of Somnath, a former swordmaster member, could employ more varied movements. His attacks were intended to misdirect and confuse traditionally trained sword fighters, only the most experienced and talented Swordmaster could withstand his attacks. For example, Ahlik could hold two swords in each of his hands, spinning two of them very rapidly in front of him as a shield. Ahlik used this against Catur Fariadhy on Somnath. Category:Canopus